CWP Global Completes Key Studies for the AMAN Project in Mauritania

The early-stage geological, geotechnical and hydrogeological assessment was conducted in collaboration with RSK Geosciences supported by the Magma Group, a Mauritanian company. The bathymetry survey of Baie du Lévrier was conducted independently from the land-based study, with oversight from the Mauritanian Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines.

These studies are pivotal steps in advancing the proposed AMAN project and demonstrate CWP’s commitment to leveraging local expertise and resources. Both studies provided invaluable insights into Mauritania’s geological and hydrological landscape, which will support the proposed project’s infrastructure and environmental integrity.

The geological studies and bathymetry survey yielded crucial data to on-site conditions for optimizing infrastructure design, placement, and durability while adhering to environmental and safety standards in line with but not limited to, the International Finance Corporation’s guidelines. These studies will help CWP identify optimal locations for supporting infrastructure including water desalination, roads and pipelines, while minimizing impact on the bay area. These studies are a critical component of the project development, providing a proper foundational framework for the design and permitting.

Margaret Mutschler, AMAN Project Director, stated:

“We look forward to gaining more local environmental, geological and hydrogeological knowledge as we undertake additional studies.”

Key Highlights from the Onshore Geological, Hydrogeological and Geotechnical study:

• Survey Scope: During July, August, September and October, 2024 CWP conducted an extensive research study into existing geological information available in Northern Mauritania, bringing together previous geological studies, government information, local project studies and historic geotechnical information gathered by other infrastructure projects. A field visit was undertaken to the project area with consultants RSK and Magma to help us understand existing data and its accuracy.
• Digital Elevation Model: High-quality satellite imagery formed a crucial part of this study.
•  Infrastructure Siting: The data gathered will inform the potential siting of renewable infrastructure, the location of the desalination plant, and other supporting elements for the proposed AMAN project.
• Hydrological and Hazard Modeling: Collected data was fed into GIS systems to help model the risks of geological processes such as sand movement and flooding, which are key to environmental impact assessments.

Key Highlights from the Marine Reconnaissance Survey in Baie du Lévrier:

• Survey Scope: In September and October, CWP conducted a 360 km marine reconnaissance survey of Baie du Lévrier and mapped the seabed mapping across 26 km².
• Sample Collection: Water and sediment samples from 10 locations were analyzed for chemical and benthic (micro-organism) composition, with underwater videography documenting each location.
• Nautical Charting: The survey aimed to validate existing nautical charts for precise engineering and planning.
• Infrastructure Siting: Data gathered will help inform the potential siting of a desalination plant’s intake and brine disposal systems to ensure minimal impact on the marine environment.
• Hydrodynamic Modeling: Collected data will feed into computer simulations to model brine dispersion, a key element for environmental impact assessments.
• The bathymetric data will also support long-term environmental monitoring, including year-round water sampling and tidal movement measurements, offering insights into seasonal variations in the bay’s characteristics.

Looking Forward

The proposed AMAN project could deploy up to 30 GW of combined wind and solar capacity over phases subject to relevant commercial and regulatory approvals, with the potential to produce up to 110 TWh of energy annually. Once operational, the project could generate up to 1.7 million tons of green hydrogen per year, fueling the production of hydrogen derivatives like green ammonia, steel, and potentially liquid hydrogen.

CWP’s collaboration with local (most notably the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines) and national stakeholders has strengthened the proposed AMAN project while expanding the company’s commitment to supporting Mauritania’s economic and environmental priorities in all phases of project development.

BACKGROUND

CWP Global has recently achieved a number of development milestones in its work on AMAN, including 32 months of resource measurement to confirm the outstanding wind and solar on the project area in Mauritania’s north-west and the advancement of public consultations as part of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) following the Government’s approval of the ESIA Terms of Reference earlier this year.

CWP Global launched its proposed AMAN project in 2020 and has signed both an MOU (2021) and a Framework Agreement (2022) with the Government to underpin its potential project development activities in the country, including through an office in Nouakchott with around 10 local staff employed.  CWP and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania resumed negotiations on a Global Convention Agreement for the project as the Government has approved the Hydrogen Code, a sector-specific regulatory regime to facilitate the new green hydrogen industry in Mauritania.

About CWP Global

CWP Global brings extensive expertise and a proven track record in developing best-in-class renewable energy project portfolios in both South-East Europe and Australia, and is now one of the world’s leading developers of ultra-large-scale renewable hydrogen hubs, with a vision to supply emerging international markets for green hydrogen, green ammonia and other derivatives, including green iron.